Police: Firebomb kills 1, hurts 7 at Detroit house

DETROIT (AP) -- Arson and homicide investigators are probing the firebombing of a Detroit family's home Sunday in which one person died and three were critically hurt.

Eight of the nine people inside were injured, police told the Detroit Free Press. The attack happened about 6 a.m. on the city's near east side.

No arrests or suspects were immediately reported.

Detroit police referred an Associated Press request for details to a fire official, who said he did not have any information on the death or degree of injury to those in the house.

Firefighters got a call at 6:10 a.m. Sunday to a house on the city's near east side, said Senior Chief Scott Tederington. He said he knew of five people taken to hospitals, three by emergency medical crews and two by police. No firefighters were reported injured, he said.

Two people were treated at the scene and six were hospitalized, police Cmdr. Steve Dolunt told Detroit media outlets. He said three were in critical condition and three were in serious condition.

"It's pretty bad, but it could have been a lot worse," Dolunt said.

Witnesses said they saw two men drive up to the house and throw a firebomb through the front window, Dolunt said. He said it was a private home for a large family ranging from 29 to 60 years old.

Kita Thomas, 32, said she woke up early Sunday to the sound of crackling and popping, and then saw fire coming from her neighbor's home.

"I ran outside with no shoes or socks, and banged on the doors and windows, trying to wake everybody up," Thomas, a nursing assistant, told The Detroit News.

Thomas said a man and woman were on the second-floor back porch and told her they couldn't go back in the house because it was too smoky. She said the couple threw a key down to her, and she and another neighbor tried unsuccessfully to open the doors just as firefighters arrived.

"It was just chaotic, but the firefighters did a good job this morning, they took care of business," Thomas said.